Director Ranjith, who wrote scripts for award-winning artistes such as Manju Warrier, Shobhana and Revathi, did not hide his excitement to have a National award winner in his upcoming movie Thirakatha. “I have never worked with an actor as vibrant and focused as Priyamani. She is an artiste with immense potential and could go a long way,” he said.

Priyamani is still high on the excitement of becoming one among great artistes such as Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Shobhana, Urvashi, and Meera Jasmine, who won the same award. “I was surprised to learn that I had won the award. I was sleeping when my dad woke me up and told me that I had won the National Award. I thought he was pulling my leg. I still can’t believe it, really!"

In fact, Priyamani was initially interested in modelling and never thought of entering the cine field because no one from her family had worked in the industry. But when fashion choreographer Prasad Bidappa saw her pictures, he insisted that she send them to ad agencies in Chennai. She got a lot of advertisements, 99% for saris or jewellery. Then Bharathiraja saw her picture somewhere and cast her in Kangalal Kaidu Sei.

More interestingly, Priyamani might have made her acting debut in director Fazil’s Malayalam film, Kaiyethum Doorathu (2002) much before Kangalal Kaidu Sei (2004). "I had gone to Alappuzha and done a screen test for the Malayalam movie. Fazil wanted me to do the movie but I couldn’t because I had my college exams coming up," she remembers.

"I enjoy doing the kind of acting required in Malayalam cinema, the natural and underplayed kind. And I know the language too, as my parents hail from Kerala. I learnt Malayalam by watching films on TV; I must have seen Manichithrathazhu more than a 100 times! I would like to do more good roles in Malayalam," Priyamani says.

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